|
Propaganda
for Cleveland's NINE SHOCKS TERROR, a
rather unruly pack of slack-jawed, pear-bodied, draggin'-ass
mufuckers plyin their wares throughout the East Coast
and Southeast states of the US of fuckin' A.
Dig it.
The "Thrash Gods" began in earnest in mid
1996, formed out of the ashes of the H-100s (Chris Erba-vocals,
Tony Erba-bass, Chard-guitar, Wedge drums), a notorious
Cleveland punk band that was, err, 'renowned' for rarely
getting through a full set without a legitimate riot
ensuing. Indeed, after a scant 13 shows, marred by complete
out-of-control chaos and crowd violence, the band imploded
after a show promoted by Mormons vocalist and future
Nine Shocks rager Steve Peffer in Jan. of '96 at the
Pieta Ballroom in Cleveland.
After a few months of inactivity, the remainder of the
H-100s (Tony Erba, Wedge and Chard) called on the rail-thin,
frantic, sarcastic spasmodic they'd seen fronting the
Mormons and jumped him in on vocals, and the fist lineup
of Nine Shocks began, playing their first show in November
of '96 at Riot 101 records in Cleveland with the Spent
Idols and the TKO's. The band at first found it hard
to live up to the chaos that the H-100s always seemed
to be embroiled in, due to that band's expressed purpose
of 'fucking shit up' and 'ruining the scene'. . . however,
it didn't take people long to notice that this just
wasn't the H-100s with a new singer--it was a crisp,
threatening, balls-out thrash unit designed to operate
more like a band than a prison riot, and consequently
stick around for the long haul and release some mind-blowing
rock'n'roll. This lineup began attracting a following
and playing lots of out-of-state shows, and recorded
and released a 7" single("Earth, Wind and
the Sheik Throwing Fire") on their friend's local
label, River On Fire records. This quickly sold out,
and the band did a week-long tour with Japanese punk
band the Gaia on the East Coast. Longtime allies Devoid
Of Faith befriended the band, with DOF's Nate Wilson
releasing a split Nine Shocks/DOF 7" that really
introduced the band to the punk scenein a big way. The
next vinyl was the hard-to find, legendary 'lost record',
the "Zen and the Art of Beating Your Ass"
LP, on the Devour label. . more on this album later.
Around this time, Chard began to lose interest in the
band, and was soon replaced by Mike the Jobber, from
the pummeling local youth-crew band Grudge Match. Mike
really escalated the band's live gigs with vastly improved
playing, shredding solos and loud-ass amps. Mike wrote
a few songs with the band, and recorded the self-titled
Havoc Records 7", which to date has sold around
7, 000 copies and remains the record to which most people
really feel catapulted the band to "top of the
DIY" scene status, whatever the hell THAT means.
The band then toured the Southeast in August '99, with
stops in Chicago, Toronto, Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis,
Indianapolis, Georgia, Richmond and pretty much damn
near anywhere else that wasn't hip to what happens at
the typical Nine Shocks gig(chair throwing, fireworks,
bleeding bandmembers, nudity, and enough volume to blow
the balls off a charging rhino at 30 paces, ) Mike failed
to show up for a gig at Nino's Tavern in Cleveland on
Sweetest Day, 1999, and was replaced by Kevin Jaworski,
Steve's lifelong pal and confederate in the raunchy,
snotty Mormons. Kevin brought a more complex, Husker-ish
style to his playing, and soon the band was back in
full swing, this time more threatening than ever. The
boys played the Michigan Fest 2000 in front of 2, 000
kids, and really turned the corner at that gig, which
was marked by the wildest, most intense crowd reaction
the band had recieved to date. From then on, it was
open season on the audience, resulting in the sick,
rabid reaction that Nine Shocks gets wherever they play
now.
In May of 2001, Nine Shocks Terror released their second
full-length LP, an instant classic of the genre entitled
"Paying Ohmage" on the Sound Pollution label.
Reaction to the Lp was deranged and fanatical, and legendary
East Coast appearances followed, such as the day in
April 2001 when the band played three shows in two states
in one day--1 pm matinee at Hampshire College in Western
Mass. (the venue was COMPLETELY destroyed by rabid fans),
a 7 pm deal in Boston, and a sold-out, complete freak-out
at the Living Room in Providence, Rhode Island. A tour
of the Southeast commenced in September 2001, headlining
the Havoc Fest in Minneapolis(more fireworks, blood
and mayhem!!), a complete crowd rebellion against an
asshole hall owner in Cincinnati which saw the kids,
upset by Nine Shocks only being allowed to play for
ten minutes, tore the hall down halfway through the
first song!!), an enraged club owner in Tallahassee
being whipped by a chain-wielding Steve Peffer as the
fireworks and plunder flew, and more drunken, sweaty,
overamplified antics throughout the Carolinas, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama and parts unknown.
Wedge was unavailable for tour due to an inflamed posterior
giblet, and the boys recruited fellow asshole and fine
Southern man Jason Griffin from the ridiculous Georgia
thrash outfit Goat Shanty for the drum slot. Jason filled
in perfectly and the band gelled like cumstains on a
pair of week-old boxers. Presently, the band is taking
a break from the road, writng and rehearsing some new
shit. Wedge got his shit straightened out and is back
in the fold. The "Zen. . . " Lp is being re-released
on the Havoc label so everyone who wants it will be
able to find it easily. The Lp will have new, kick-ass
graphics and has been remixed for a much fuller, deeper
sound. Kevin is living in Cincy and not recieving many
replys to his personal ad. Steve is busy with his radio
show and hating everyone and everything. Wedge and Christy
got married, and are happily raising 18 cats and attempting
to rewrite the Kama Sutra, Painesville style. Tony plays
a lot with his Stooges/MC5 styled band, Stepsister,
and is trying to infiltrate the Freemasons. . . . .
and oh yeah, the boys are headed to the West Coast for
the first time in March 2002. . . this is going to end
badly for everyone!
DISCOGRAPHY
1. "Earth, Wind and the Sheik Throwing Fire"
7"
(River On Fire records, '97)
2. Split 7" with Devoid Of Faith(Gloom, '97)
3. "Zen and the Art of Beating Your Ass"
LP(Devour
Records, 1999) (original release, import only)
4. "Mobile Terror Unit" 7" (Havoc Records,
2000)
5. split 7" with The Killers(Gloom, 2001)
6.
"Paying Ohmage" LP (Sound Pollution, '01)
7. "Zen and the Art. . . " LP re-release, Havoc
Records,
ON THE WAY!
|
